The best summer lemon tahini orzo salad
This lemon tahini orzo salad has it all. Crispy chickpeas, grilled eggplant, garden veggies, and light, flavorful vegan dressing make this salad perfect for summer. This one is great for picnics, cookouts or a quick meal any time of day. The texture of this salad is amazing with delicate orzo pasta, crunchy cucumbers and hardy kale plus tangy olives and cherry tomatoes. Each bite is bursting with different flavors.
What is orzo?
Orzo is an oblong tiny pasta shape that resembles rice. It is often included in rice pilafs and is very versatile. The mouthful is very pleasant and it lends a really great texture to any dish. I love to add orzo to pasta salads and soups. It cooks very quickly which makes it very convenient for quick recipes.
Ingredients for Lemon Tahini Orzo Salad
The ingredients for this orzo salad are simple and easy to find. Although this is a summery salad, it can be made year round. What makes it ideal for summer is the use of all the garden produce and the grill for the eggplant. But you can skip the eggplant and have a truly delicious salad as well that is even simpler to cook.
- orzo pasta
- baby kale
- cucumbers
- parsley
- cherry tomatoes
- kalamata olives
- eggplant
- olive oil
- salt
- smoked paprika
- chickpeas
- tahini
- lemons
How to make orzo salad
This orzo salad is a medium on the difficulty range since there are three cooking processes needed. The oven is used for the chickpeas, the stove is used to cook the orzo and the grill is used for the eggplant. To make it simpler, roast the eggplant in the oven or skip it altogether. Another step you can skip is crisping the chickpeas. For a quicker recipe simply use the chickpeas out of the can.
- Cook the Chickpeas - Preheat oven to 400, toss chickpeas with salt, smoked paprika and olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Grill the Eggplant- Make marinade and coat each slice of eggplant then grill for 5 minutes each side. Let cool then chop into bite size pieces.
- Cook the orzo according to the directions, rinse, drain well and add to a large bowl.
- Add dressing ingredients to the orzo and mix well.
- Add baby kale, cucumbers, olives, cherry tomatoes, cooled chickpeas and eggplant, and parsley to the bowl with orzo and dressing and mix well. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust to your tastes.
Tips for Making the best Summer salad
Here are some tips and tools for making the best salads. Of course it always starts with the best recipe! This section includes affiliate links. I will earn commission if you purchase. Thanks for supporting my work!
- This recipe lends very well to substitutions and add-ons. My favorite addition is the copious fresh mint many of us have growing in our summer gardens. You may substitute the mint for the parsley or simply add in and make the salad herbier. It is super delicious this way.
- Another great substitute is zucchini for eggplant. So many people have abundant zucchini in summer and are looking for creative ways to use it up. Simply grill it in place of the eggplant in this recipe and you will be happy with the results.
- I love cherry tomatoes in chilled pasta salads like this one. I advise you to stick with cherries rather than cutting larger tomatoes because they add less water as they break down. Speaking of breaking down, substituting other more delicate greens is only advisable if the salad will be consumed immediately as lettuces and spinach degrade quickly once dressed.
- This lemon orzo tahini salad will last for 3 days when stored properly in the refrigerator. On day 3, give it a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to refresh the flavors.
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Other delicious salad recipes for you
Lemon Tahini Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound orzo pasta
- 2 cups baby kale chopped
- 2 cucumbers cut in rounds
- 4 tbsp parsley
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup kalamata olives chopped
- 1 eggplant sliced in 4 lengthwise for grilling
For Eggplant Marinade
- 1 tsp olive oil
- pinch salt
- pinch smoked paprika
For Crispy Smoked Paprika Chickpeas
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas
- pinch salt
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp olive oil
For Dressing
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 2 lemons juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the Chickpeas - Preheat oven to 400, toss chickpeas with salt, smoked paprika and olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Grill the Eggplant- Make marinade and coat each slice of eggplant then grill for 5 minutes each side. Let cool then chop into bite size pieces.
- Cook the orzo according to the directions, rinse, drain well and add to a large bowl.
- Add dressing ingredients to the orzo and mix well.
- Add baby kale, cucumbers, olives, cherry tomatoes, cooled chickpeas and eggplant, and parsley to the bowl with orzo and dressing and mix well. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust.
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